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H. R. No. 282 As IntroducedAs Introduced
| 130th General Assembly | | Regular Session | | 2013-2014 |
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Representatives Dovilla, Hill
A RESOLUTION | To urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to
hold public listening sessions on proposed
regulations targeting carbon dioxide emissions
from existing power plants in those states that
would be most directly impacted by the
regulations.
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
| WHEREAS, Coal provides affordable, reliable energy that
provides low-cost electricity to individuals and businesses across
the country. The ten states with the highest percentage of
electricity generated from coal in 2012 were West Virginia,
Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah,
Nebraska, New Mexico, and Ohio; and |
| WHEREAS, Nearly 78% of all electricity generated in Ohio
comes from coal. Ohio is the tenth largest coal-producing state in
the nation, and Ohio's coal industry is responsible for
approximately 3,000 direct jobs and 33,000 indirect jobs; and |
| WHEREAS, President Barack Obama announced on June 25, 2013,
that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) would adopt
regulations targeting greenhouse gas emissions from existing
coal-fired power plants, with a proposed rule to be released in
June 2014 and a final rule adopted in June 2015; and |
| WHEREAS, On September 30, 2013, the USEPA announced that
public listening sessions on rulemaking targeting greenhouse gas
emissions from existing coal-fired power plants would be held in
Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, New York; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Lenexa, Kansas;
San Francisco, California; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas;
Seattle, Washington; and Chicago, Illinois. The USEPA's
announcement of the listening sessions states that "[t]he feedback
from these 11 public listening sessions will play an important
role in helping USEPA develop smart, cost-effective guidelines
that reflect the latest and best information available"; and |
| WHEREAS, None of the eleven public listening sessions
announced by the USEPA will be held in any of the ten states with
the highest percentage of electricity generated from coal, and
none of the sessions will be held in any of the top three
coal-producing states. The ten states and the District of Columbia
where public listening sessions will be held generate an average
of 26% of their electricity from coal; and |
| WHEREAS, Regulatory efforts that could lead to the retirement
of additional coal-fired power plants would have a
disproportionate impact on jobs, utility rates, and the overall
economy in states that rely on coal for a higher percentage of
electricity generation; and |
| WHEREAS, The USEPA should use its public listening sessions
to hear the potential impact of its regulatory actions in those
states where that impact would be the greatest. The USEPA's stated
goal of using the listening sessions to help USEPA "develop smart,
cost-effective guidelines" cannot be achieved by excluding the
views of residents in those states that rely most heavily on coal
for electricity generation; now therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of
Representatives of the 130th General Assembly of the State of
Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge that public listening
sessions on rulemaking targeting carbon dioxide emissions from
existing power plants should be held in each of the ten states
with the highest percentage of electricity generated by coal in
2012 and at a time and place that would maximize the ability of
individuals to participate; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the
Administrator of the USEPA, the Speaker and Clerk of the United
States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and
Secretary of the United States Senate, the members of the Ohio
Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio. |
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